Health

Don't obsess over numbers. *

I don’t weigh myself. I’ve always felt that the numbers game wasn’t as relevant as other factors, namely how you feel and how your clothes fit. It wasn’t until I broke my foot that I started to realize how true that was.

When I went to urgent care, they weighed me: 151.5 lbs. Eight weeks later, I went for my checkup with my primary care physician and was weighed again. I’d gained half a pound.

On paper, those numbers look great, but they’re not telling the whole story. In September, my weight was mostly muscle. I’d been training for my half marathon for more than six months. I could run 13 miles at a time. I kept pace at kickboxing class twice each week. Pilates kept my muscles long and lean. The story was different in November: my pants were tight; my energy level was low; and walking through the Frontier Airlines Center in Milwaukee left me exhausted.

Yet on paper, everything was exactly the same. There was no change in my BMI, which remained at 20.1, yet there was undoubtedly a difference in my health and fitness.

Trust your judgment, not the scale. Only you know if your number is a healthy one.

* Image from Mason Masteka via Creative Commons.

Tags: BMI, Fitness, Health, injury, scale, weight

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